From March 17, 2026, heirs in Poland can directly file property registration requests with a notary, simplifying the inheritance process.
New Inheritance Procedure Starting in 2026
Starting March 17, 2026, heirs can submit applications for entry in the land and mortgage register directly to a notary. An amendment to the Notarial Law simplifies the property inheritance procedure, reduces processing time, and transfers the collection of court fees to the notary.
Practical Changes to Notarial Operations
The amendment to the regulations governing notarial operations and land registers came into effect on Tuesday. The changes are practical in nature, reducing formalities and shortening the time required to regularize the legal status of property after inheritance.
Direct Application to the Land Register via Notary
The most significant change is the ability to submit an application for entry in the land register directly to the notary. According to the National Council of Notaries, this solution simplifies the procedure for heirs, who previously had to independently submit the application on a paper form to the land and mortgage registry court and pay the court fee. This previously meant additional documents, the risk of formal errors, and a longer process.
New Regulations Under the Notarial Law
From March 17, 2026, according to the new Art. 95ga of the Notarial Law, an heir or a beneficiary (a person who receives a specific item or right, e.g., an apartment, directly by will) can submit such an application immediately after preparing the inheritance certificate. In this situation, the notary:
Simplified and Secure Procedure
This makes the procedure simpler and safer, eliminating the risk of formal errors and shortening the time required to update the legal status of the property.
Required Attendees
All potential heirs must participate in the preparation of the inheritance certificate. However, to submit the application to the land register, only the presence of the person who has received confirmation of their heir status is sufficient.
Notary Fee Collection
The amendment to Art. 7 § 2 of the Notarial Law expands the notary’s obligations. In addition to preparing and submitting the application for entry in the land register, the notary also collects the court fee and remits it directly to the competent court.
Two-Stage Process
The procedure involves two main stages: preparing a special record with the participation of the party, containing their request for entry, and the notary submitting the application to the land register through the teleinformation system.
Total Costs
This amounts to approximately 500 PLN in total. Additionally, the notary collects a court fee of 150 PLN for entry in the land register due to inheritance, which is remitted directly to the competent court.
Land Registers in 2026: No Obligation to Notify the Court
If the application for entry is submitted on the day the inheritance certificate is prepared, the notary does not have to additionally notify the court of the change of property ownership. This means that only the application goes to the court, simplifying the procedure and accelerating the update of data in the land registers.
Impact on Heirs and Notaries
Notaries prepare nearly 180,000 inheritance certificates annually, so the changes introduced may significantly relieve heirs and streamline the process of regularizing the legal status of property.
